L'Etoile
by Miss Ami-chan
Summary: Henri & Mercy don't think that femme!Remy is taking dis t'ievin' business seriously enough, so it's off to Paris to retrieve L'Etoile du Tricherie from handsome Gerard Darcineaux. What could possibly go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

_Author's Note: This is the first chapter of a story I'm working through. This is the female Remy timeline that I speak of in my profile. Some other characters are genderbent, some aren't. This came about as challenge for a back story for a character in a table top RP who has wound up being that universes Gambit, but female. Characters are originally Marvel's. However, this is not Earth-616.  
If you want to know how Remy got Belle's brioche the answer is on tumblr as the prologue has MA elements (look for ladiableruse). _

ONE

I walk through downtown, munching on the brioche Belle threw at me, slip down an alley on my way to meet Henri and Mercy. It gives me the opportunity to charge and destroy "The Rising Bun" bakery bag. Power is becoming very handy for evidence obliteration, that's for sure. Don't need to be rolling up with a bag declaring proudly that I was visiting Belle when she was on a task and I was supposed to be—well, not visiting her, that's about that.

Despite my detours I get to the rendez-vous early and sit on the back of a bench reviewing the small amount of info I was sent a few hours ago. It's a photo of an ugly—interesting looking blue and gold necklace; but I'm guessing I have to steal it not wear it.

After a few minutes the blue Ford Fusion pulls up and I slip into the back of the car. Mercy is driving and Henri hands me a thick manila envelope—the type that fastens with a button and string. He has a similar one on his lap. I squeeze in next to two flight bags and a clear zippered bag that used to house a comforter that has a couple of different shirts in it.

In the envelope is a passport in the name of Amelie Baudin, 2 traveler's checks amounting to a coupe of thousand Francs, plane ticket to Paris, and just about a hundred Francs in bills and coins.

"Please tell me we not pretending to be married." I say, as I go through the clear plastic bag and pick out a shirt to wear.

Henri laughs, "_Mais non, petite soeur._ You and "Marie" here are going to visit your maiden aunt during spring break from school." He turns abruptly as I lift my shirt over my head and take off my bra to change into the baby doll college t-shirt among the clothes.

"Some spring break." I remark.

Mercy has the car on the road, heading towards the airport, "You and me, sis," she jokes, "Family ambassadors."

The baby doll leaves my mid-riff bare. I keep my boots and jeans on, "Sounds good," I tell her.

"This is for you to do," Henri continues.

"Steal de necklace?"

"Get back de necklace."

"Get ba-?"

"Let me finish."

I put my hands up in supplication then start going through the luggage that has Amelie's name on the destination tag.

"Our sources say de necklace was stolen already by a man called Gerard Darcineaux. You need to get it from him before he moves it to a broker or gets it to whoever hired him."

"Sounds fun."

"Dis is not a trip for fun, Remy," Henri says, staunchly, "It's an important test. Mer-."

"I'm there to advise and sponsor but not actively participate," Mercy explains.

"Okay."

I wonder which one of them went through my Go! Bags to decide to bring this one. This one has two changes of clothes, some practical but sexy under things, a toiletry bag and a book I had wanted to read six months ago but now don't give a damn about. Need to go through Go! Bags more often. The idea of Henri finding a bag primarily full of lingerie is far too amusing.

Henri coughs at me.

Not being serious enough. Right.

He passes me his phone. There's a picture of a cute brown haired man walking through a crowded plaza. The picture was probably taken from a balcony and was at the limit of the photographer's zoom.

"Gerard?" I ask.

"Gerard." He confirms.

He has an angular jaw. There appear to be some dark streaks in his hair which is short but partly spiked up, in a tousled way. It's hard to make out his eyes, even with zooming, though the seem light.

"He's pretty hot."

Both Henri and Mercy give me the eye—she through the rear-view mirror, him turning to look at me, craning his neck.

"What?" I ask, "He is."

Henri pinches the bridge of his nose, "Are you even listenin' t'me?"

"What?" I ask again, with inflection of innocence, "Necklace. Gerard. Serious business. I got it."

"You better."


	2. Chapter 2

TWO

I forgot how boring flights are. The first leg wasn't so bad. Hopper to Philly short layover. Mercy daring me to get us free drinks at the airport's branch of Wine Bar.

Now we're on the trans-atlantic haul; playing poker on the seat back video game only goes so far. We both sleep for a little while; then I amuse myself flirting with the cabin crew who have little to do when most everyone is asleep.

"This is why it's hard for me to believe you're taking things seriously," Mercy says, opening her eyes when I come back with two free alcoholic beverages and a wink from the flight attendant.

"We're not on the clock yet."

She rolls her eyes at me, from the window seat, "You remember: be professional."

I give her a sideways look, sipping on the drink, "This was fine not five hours ago."

She tries to take it from me but I'm too fast—barely spill though—have to work on that, "Now it needs to be out of your system. We had our fun."

She tries for the drink again. I relent when she glares at me and put the drink down on her tray.

"Now," she says, "Talk to me about how you plan to pick up the gift."

I must smirk.

"There's no guarantee he goes your way— you know what they say about Europeans," there's at least some humor in that statement.

I shake my head.

"So, your game works on horny school kids and stewards but this is another of our profession. I imagine he knows all about that game. He might even run that himself." She puts her finger up to stop me talking while she takes a long deliberate swig from the drink that was mine, "not to mention if you do _anything,_ one THING, to jeopardize things between Capulet and Montague then not even your pretty eyes will save your neck."

"To counter," I say.

"Go ahead."

"Just because a guy has been with men, busty chicks, Asian chicks, sheep—doesn't mean I can't get him to come to my side because, please. Also, Belle and I have an understanding. We both have demanding…families and jobs dat require us to do certain t'ings so den it's okay. No emotions—just work. We do what needs to be done and den we go home to each other. We love each other."

Mercy closes her eyes for a moment. There are times her expression is so very much like Henri's, "That is actually very mature," she concedes, slowly, "If you can keep with that—I mean, you're _young_, Remy. It's good to have ideals but things…" she sighs, "Okay, we've been at this a _lot _longer than you and emotions are complicated and just because you have 'an understanding' doesn't give you free rein to just screw around whenever you want to."

"Do you see me screwing around?" I ask her, "I got offered mile high not to long ago and I didn't."

"Congratulations," she says, sarcastically, "Let's give you an award because you didn't sleep with someone."

"My point," I tell her, "is dat I'm not a stupid whore. I can keep t'ings out of my pants."

"My point," she continues, "is that this doesn't need to be screwed up because you're screwing around." She seems to want to say something else but doesn't.

"Finish your thought," I press, "Let's get dis all out."

"We don't need another Etienne." she says, pained.

I start to counter on that. How dare she—that wasn't—but she wasn't there. All of that boils down to my word as the only surviving witness. We've kept things quiet and low so far. I don't need to wake everyone around us to our "super secret plans" by going off.

"No witty come back?" she asks, half-heartedly. What she said went to far which she knows; but that was my fault making her explain to me.

"I don't want dat," I shake my head, "Dat's de last t'ing I would want. I keep hearing all about how I'm not takin' t'ings right; but dis is just my way. I got dis. It's fine. You guys want to test me or do whatever, den dat's fine, let me do it how I do it."

"Fine." She says and closes her eyes to go back to sleep.


End file.
